By Kay Henry

On Saturday, June 14, 2025, Catholic community members and leaders from parishes spanning Montreal gathered at Mary, Queen of the World Cathedral for a special workshop devoted to synodality.

Among attendees was Archbishop Christian Lépine, who described the event as "a time to get together and renew our heart for the mission," highlighting the need for better communication between the city’s Catholic organisations. He emphasized that such meetings should occur regularly to bridge the gap between communities and foster the sense that "We're part of something bigger than us."

From Rome to Montreal

Synodality, put simply, is a spiritual disposition with which people of God "walk together" in their faith. It is a decentering of the self for the greater good, which involves actively listening to diverse viewpoints and a zeal for collaboration that permeates all echelons of the church. In action, it looks like parishioners and leaders listening to the feedback of churchgoers to decide on how to approach spiritual practices or community programs.

After group prayer and an introductory speech from Archbishop Lépine, speaker Denis Bérubé provided the historical context of the synodal church. He mentioned that this pastoral approach gained traction under Pope Francis' leadership, with an influx of church polity assemblies and synodal activity on a local scale in recent years, culminating in the October 2024 Synod on Synodality in Rome. The coming together of worldwide church leadership addressed the need for resources and recognised gaps in communication, setting the goal of renewing missionary involvement and inter-diocese collaboration while identifying how the church can adapt to changing times.

Rome's large-scale demonstration of Catholic unity in 2024 laid the groundwork for meetings like that held over the weekend to practice synodality in a Montreal context.

While speaking on the goals of Saturday's gathering, Father Raymond Lafontaine, E.V., presented four key themes of synodal conversion:
 

1. "Together in the Boat" – Emphasizing collaboration between genders, generations, and cultures.

2. "Cast the Net" – Encouraging participatory decision-making and asking, "How can everyone's voice be heard?"

3. "Plentiful Fishing" – Addressing local nuances such as interculturality and language divides to foster unity in the city's parishes.

4. "I'm Sending You Off Too" – Inspiring missionary action among youth, lay people, and consecrated persons through formation and training.

He further outlined the meeting's objectives, encouraging group discussions rooted in the principles of synodality —active listening, authentic sharing, and the exchange of ideas. Over the course of an hour, attendees became agents of the synodal process through spiritual conversation and discernment, which brought to light points of convergence, key priorities, and a yearning for an intercultural and inclusive church community. Groups selected representatives to present their findings to the wider assembly, allowing for clarifying questions and recognition of common threads.

A Fruitful Gathering

This synod reinforced collective exchange and reflection through shared meals, prayer, and song, building a sense of purpose and unity. Attendees were empowered to make space for their voices heard and strengthen their convictions by engaging with one another’s testimonies. "Together, we are stronger." reflected Sister Violaine Paradis. Archbishop Lépine added, "One of the fruits of the meeting today is that people go back into their own lives and mission service knowing that they are not alone. We are together in this role of disseminating the love of God."

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